Page 47 of Maverick

“Are you sure you ladies don’t need anything else?” It was nearly an hour after my normal quitting time, but I wanted to spend more time with Mabel before we left, and more than that, I wanted Sophie to have good memories of people who were like family.

Mabel cocked a brow in my direction as a slow smile spread. “Are you sure you don’t need anything? Maybe some aspirin?”

Mrs. P snickered behind her cards, and I rolled my eyes. “We’re good, dear.”

I sighed and folded my arms, glaring at the stubborn older women. “It’s almost dark, Mrs. P. We’ll stay with Mabel and Scooter can walk you home.” Scooter was the prospect staying tonight, it seemed to be working out quite well. Mabel liked being around younger people and the prospects were always eager to do jobs that would help out the MC or community. This ticked both boxes.

“Honey I’ve been walking this neighborhood longer than you’ve been alive, I don’t need an escort,” she said with a smile. “But if it makes you feel better, Mabel and I will just have a sleepover. We’re not nearly done with our game.”

“You’re too old for a sleepover,” Sophie declared with a frown. “Right?”

“Oh, no, girl.” Mabel wrapped an arm around Sophie and kissed her forehead. “A woman is never too old for a sleepover. Not ever.” She sent me a knowing glance over Sophie’s shoulder, a clear message. You included.

“Fine,” I answered, knowing when I was out of options. “Sophie, say goodbye to Mabel and Mrs. P.”

She dutifully hugged and kissed each woman in farewell and a pang of sadness kicked me in the chest at the idea of Sophie having to leave.

Unless I stayed. I shook off that crazy idea, staying wasn’t an option. It couldn’t be. Staying dominated my thoughts as Sophie and I started on the short drive home. Though a stone’s throw from Las Vegas, Steel City was a small town and pretty much everywhere was just a quick drive.

I couldn’t think about staying and not think about Maverick. I was damn sorry to have to say goodbye to him, which was all the more reason I needed to get a plan together to leave. The longer we stayed, the greater the chance that Trent would find us, which was really too bad because Maverick was the kind of man I could have ended up with if my life—and my luck—was different. It was ironic when you thought about it. From the outside, the whole world would see a man like Trent, clean shaven with two college degrees, as a good man—a husband a woman like me would be lucky to have—without knowing the monster he hid beneath the surface. But they instantly judged a man like Maverick with his biker vest, long hair, and tattoos, and saw a criminal. But he wasn’t just the hottest man I’d ever met, he was the kindest and sweetest, so tender with Sophie, that I sometimes caught myself wishing he was her father instead.

Maverick was the passion I didn’t know existed within me because no one had ever cared enough to show me.

But I couldn’t let that sway me. I couldn’t let Trent and his monstrous ways descend upon Maverick and Mabel and their lives here. Besides, I’d already upended my entire life, my whole existence, for a man, and I wasn’t eager to do that again.

Not that he’s asking me to stay, or that he will.

***

After driving a few more minutes, I turned my attention to my surroundings and spotted a black Mustang. I’d seen it a few times since leaving Mabel’s house and I hadn’t paid much attention to it, until now. Sure, it could be a complete coincidence, and in a town like Steel City maybe it was. There were cars like that all around, but I’d made this drive plenty of times and I’d never seen one. And today it was on the same path as me.

Don’t panic, Grace. You’re fine.

“Mommy, can we have pizza for dinner tonight?”

I glanced in the mirror and smiled. “I’ll think about it, okay?” She’d kept up a running commentary since we hit the road, which was probably why I hadn’t paid it too much attention. Until I couldn’t ignore it.

Just make a few turns and you’ll see you’re being paranoid.

Okay, that was a solid plan and my heart settled. Only a little, but it was enough to allow me to focus on the road. I made a left, drove a few blocks, and then a right, driving a few blocks more. Every turn I made, the Mustang made the same turn, so I kept going until we circled back around to Maverick’s house, it was in darkness. It wasn’t safe to go back to Mabel’s place, and I wasn’t sure it was even safe to stop at all.

My hands shook so I gripped the steering wheel tighter and kept driving while I figured out what to do. Where to go. My hands were ice cold and my heart raced so loudly I couldn’t hear Sophie’s words. “Think,” I whispered to myself, because I needed to think.

“I like Maverick, Mommy. Do you like him too?”

“Sure do, honey. He’s a nice man.” And he was exactly who I needed right now. I yanked my phone from the cupholder and dialed his number. It rang five times, and I was just about to hang up when he answered.

“Grace.”

“Maverick,” I whispered softly because I didn’t want Sophie to hear. “Someone is following us in a black Mustang.”

There was a moment of silence before he said another word. “Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure, yeah. I took a bunch of turns and they did the same, so now I’m just driving around, at least until I run out of gas, I’ve just gone past your house but there were no lights on.” My gaze slid to the fuel gauge, and I let out a shaky sigh. Just over half a tank, which meant I had time. “What should I do?”

“Come to me.”

“What? Where are you?” My heart pounded and my jaw clenched tight, but I nodded and listened carefully to the instructions he gave. His voice was even and calm, the low tenor holding a hint of anger, or maybe it was fear. “Okay. We’re almost there.”

---